


You're beautiful, can I hide in you and stay here?

by feel_like_plastic_waste



Category: Half-Life
Genre: Alyx gets a hug, Alyx gets to vent about her feelings and like, Canon Dialogue, F/M, Gordon tries his best, Hurt/Comfort, Mute Gordon Freeman, Oneshot, Selectively Mute Gordon Freeman, Sign Language, Sort of canon divergence, a lil, feel things, it's just a nice wholesome exchange between the two, its the scene after the stalker car but i changed it so that gordon comforts alyx because i need it, ya know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:01:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26202349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feel_like_plastic_waste/pseuds/feel_like_plastic_waste
Summary: Alyx is shaken up after getting out of the Stalker train car. Gordon comforts her.title is song lyrics taken from Masterpiece Theatre II by Marianas Trench
Relationships: Could also be interpreted as platonic, Gordon Freeman/Alyx Vance, I personally see their relationship as queerplatonic so
Comments: 11
Kudos: 49





	You're beautiful, can I hide in you and stay here?

They rushed out of the train, practically dragging each other along in their hurry. Gordon jumped down, stumbling slightly before looking up, watching as Alyx joined him. The snarling cries of the stalkers echoed around them, merging with the terrible metallic sounds of debris from the train falling over itself, sparks of electricity and the crackling of flames only emphasizing how  _ bad _ of a situation this was. 

Gordon had been through Black Mesa and, well, he’d seen some shit, but this… this was hellish. 

His ears were ringing badly, but he could still hear his own heartbeat against his chest, the sound itself slightly grounding. He was alive. He had made it through yet another series of bullshit events. God he wanted a nap. 

He looked over to Alyx next to him and felt his panic completely drop. 

She was hunched over, standing where she had landed, her face in her hands and her whole body trembling like a leaf in the wind, just as she had after Gordon had helped rip the Stalker off of her. 

His heart caught in his throat. He’d never seen Alyx look so small… so shaken. It always seemed like, no matter what, she would always jump back into high spirits and keep going with a confident smile and an unyielding determination.

He remembered what she’d said to the stalker earlier- _ God, I hope you don’t remember who you were _ \- as she closed the compartment. That was the first time he had seen her sound so… sad, defeated even. 

Alyx loved with all her heart, Gordon had noticed. She cared for everyone so, so much, always there for others, carrying so much of the rebellion on her shoulders. Yet now those shoulders shook with sobs she wouldn’t dare let loose. 

He didn’t really think about what he was doing. He was moving before he knew it, the gravity gun falling on the ground as he wrapped his arms around her shaking form and pressed her close against him. Her arms fell to her side before quickly wrapping around him in return as she buried her face into his shoulder- he doubted that it was comfortable with the HEV suit and all, but that wasn’t the point. 

Gordon simply held her, letting her sniffle and cry and feel safe- even if it was just for a brief moment in all this mess. He felt anger- anger at the world and the universe and the combine for making such a wonderful, joyful young woman go through so much, for making her burden it all without a moment of respite. He wished he could do more to comfort her, to make her feel safe and secure and  _ grounded _ … yet, when she slowly dislodged herself from him… he let her go. Alyx smiled at him, wiping at her teary eyes quickly as her breathing evened out. 

“Thank you Gordon.” She said, her voice still tight. “I… let’s keep moving.” 

She took a deep breath and Gordon watched as she regained her posture, shoulders squaring and that serious look returning to her face, though now Gordon could see the red in her eyes, how tired she looked.

“This might not be as easy as I thought. We’re in the same boat as the other evacuees now. Let’s head for the surface.” She was already moving. He picked up the gravity gun from the ground, following after her quickly. He jogged to meet up with her, tucking the grav gun under his arm to sign to her.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, Gordon I’m… I’m.” Their eyes met and they stopped walking. Alyx leaned against the wall of the grey corridor, sighing. 

“I’m tired. I’m… shaken up and tired but most importantly, I just want to get out of here and see my dad. I want to get rid of the Combine, I want to make sure that everyone evacuates the city… and I don’t want  _ anyone  _ to ever get turned into a Stalker again.” She sighed, rubbing her face with her hands, one of them falling to her necklace. “I just want this to be all over, but the more we move forward, the more I feel like… like we’re making things worse, somehow and I just…” 

She trailed off, choking up again. He reached out, gently taking her free hand in his own, squeezing it comfortingly. She squeezed back, smiling at him again. 

“I know it’s hard.” He signed once they both let go. “I wish I could do more to help, I wish I could get rid of the Combine just as easily as the…” He paused, realizing he didn’t know a sign for Vortigaunt. After a few seconds of thinking, he decided to just keep going. “As the other rebels think I can. Just know that, no matter what, I’ll always be by your side and I will always help you however I can. It’s not much, but it’s everything I have and I will gladly give it all to you.”

It was clear his words had touched her, since next he knew they had pulled each other into another, tighter hug. He rested his chin in her hair, the grav gun uncomfortably pressing against the both of them, Alyx’s arms wrapped around his biceps while he had one arm slung across her shoulders, the other arm awkwardly trying to hold onto her hips while keeping the weapon under it from falling. 

It wasn’t a great hug and it bordered the line to being a good one… but all the same, it made time around them stop for just a moment, made the world around them quiet, narrowed down to just Gordon and Alyx, alive and together- both of them anchors keeping the other from drifting away. 

That made it perfect. 

**Author's Note:**

> I have Freemance brainrot I'm almost sorry.  
> Anyway, this moment in the game was SO FUCKING DISTRESSING I just wanted to give her a hug :( Valve let us comfort her PLEASE.   
> I also just wanted to have like. A little moment of just Alyx being allowed to feel things. She's such an amazing character and she has feelings and I'm gonna address them. 
> 
> (also if any of you were thinking of starting any bullshit discourse in the comments, save it :) )


End file.
